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That goal could not have come at a better time as it also happened to be the game-winner and put him in some pretty exclusive company.

By joining the 400-goal club, Thornton becomes just the 11th player in NHL history to score at least 400 goals and 1,000 assists. The other players on that list are Wayne Gretzky, Jaromir Jagr, Mark Messier, Gordie Howe, Ron Francis, Marcel Dionne, Steve Yzerman, Mario Lemieux, Joe Sakic, and Ray Bourque.

Every player on that list is already in the Hockey Hall of Fame, with the lone exception being Jaromir Jagr … only because he was still playing in the league as recently as a year ago and is not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame. Once he is, he will be a first ballot entry.

Just as Thornton should be.

But let’s get back to the game itself for a second because this one was crazy.

In the first period it looked like the Sharks were going to run the Predators out of the building by scoring three goals in the first 16 minutes to race out to an early three-goal lead. But the Predators were able to respond in the second period with three consecutive goals of their own (including two from Filip Forsberg), and then managed to take the lead early in the third period thanks to a Rocco Grimaldi goal.

Just as the Sharks looked to be on the verge of squandering two points, Joe Pavelskiscored his second goal of the game to tie it with just under seven minutes to play in regulation.

It only took 13 seconds for Thornton to follow it up with his winning goal.

Sharks goalie Martin Jones did not have a great game overall, but he did make some huge saves down the stretch after Thornton’s goal to help preserve the win

Two time winner of the "Zukes" Cup (2011, 2012)

Jagr tells the crowd that he wanted to make a beautiful goal but ... "It hit my ass," he said.

"You know what was great, was today one of his fans mooned me, and he had Happy, written on his ass, HA on one cheek, and then sure enough PPY, right there on the other" ~ Shooter McGavin